USO serves up a taste of home for Thanksgiving

Thursday

Nov 23, 2017 at 5:12 PMNov 23, 2017 at 5:12 PM

Jannette Pippin Daily News Staff jannette_pippin

The welcome mat at the entrance of the USO center in downtown Jacksonville reads “Home Away From Home” and for many that was the case as they gathered for food and fellowship at the annual Thanksgiving dinner.

The USO was prepared to feed 2,000 or more military personnel and their families, serving up the traditional Thanksgiving Day meals of turkey, ham and all the fixings.

Trinity Monbeck arrived early with her mother, Tricia Dodds, and two sons, Colby, 2, and Luke, 11 months. Absent was her husband, Marine Staff Sgt. Charles Monbeck, who is deployed overseas for nine months.

“He is the cook in the family and since he’s gone on deployment, we decided we’d come here,” Monbeck said.

While some families had a loved one who was deployed others in attendance included young Marines stationed at Camp Lejeune and far from their home towns.

Marine Pfc. Alex Gutzmer, a member of the Single Marine Program, brought along Pfc. Demond Patton of Alabama and Pfc. Dante Hall of Missouri to ensure they enjoyed a Thanksgiving meal and fellowship with others.

Gutzmer, who is from Wisconsin, said the USO served up a great meal and they appreciate having a place to come to enjoy the holiday.

“This takes the place of that family Thanksgiving back home,” he said.

Patton said the USO dinner makes it a little easier to be away from his family at Thanksgiving.

“This helps,” he said as he sat around the table with his friends.

Retired Marine Staff Sgt. Michael Havens sat down to dinner with his son, Vinnie Havens. Although he was not able to volunteer this year, Havens has helped during past Thanksgivings at the USO and knows the importance of the dinner.

Havens said a lot of young Marines away from their loved ones may not have a place to go for the holiday otherwise.

“A lot of young Marines; they need this,” he said.

Holly Coffer, director of the Jacksonville Center for the USO of North Carolina, said months of planning go into getting ready for the Thanksgiving Dinner and the Christmas Dinner that will soon follow.

In addition to the meals served up at the center, the USO delivers about 500 meals to Marines in the field at Camp Devil Dog and to other on-duty personnel.

Coffer said the USO mission is to strengthen America’s military by keeping them connected to family, home and country and the Thanksgiving event does just that.

“I think the Thanksgiving Dinner is the epitome of the USO mission,” Coffer said.

She said it is made possible with the band of 80 or so volunteers who help cook, serve, and clean throughout the day and due to the support of the community.

“It is very much a community effort,” Coffer said.

As the crowd moves through the serving line, work behind the scenes goes on to make sure food is prepared and ready to go.

Cooking for the day began at 5:30 a.m. and a group of volunteers kept watch over the tent of grills at the back of the USO, where the turkey and ham were kept warm until ready for the serving line.

“There are 90 turkey and 37 hams and that is by the grace of the community,” said retired Marine Gunnery Sgt. Stan Walker, who has been volunteering with the USO for more than 30 years.

“If they weren’t here, they’d be sitting in the barracks,” Walker said of the military personnel who may not be able to be with their family for the holiday. “They need to know they have somewhere to go. This is one way to show that even though they can’t be (with their family), you are home.”

Sisters Lisa Boisen and Katie Pratt, both of the New Bern area, have been volunteering with the USO for about four years. Each has a husband who was a former Marine, and they said they want to continue to help military families.

“My husband (Bradey Boisen) served five years in the military and I know he missed his family when he couldn’t be with them, and we just like to give back to the families who are still serving,” Boisen said.

Pratt, whose husband Dan Pratt was stationed at Cherry Point while serving, said she has always been interested in World War II era history and the USO and when she decided to volunteer she asked if her sister would like to do the same.

“Thanksgiving was our first event and that’s what hooked us,” Pratt said.

The event, they said, helps bring the comfort of home to military personnel and their families.

It was the first year for volunteering for retired Marine Gunnery Sgt. John Rademacher of Greenville, who worked the serving line.

“I think I’m going to make it a tradition,” he said.

Reporter Jannette Pippin can be reached at Jannette.Pippin@JDNews.com or 910-382-2557.

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